Justin Wilkins has been appointed deputy chief of staff by Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.

Justin Wilkins has been appointed deputy chief of...

Photo by
Contributed Photo
/Times Free Press.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke appointed Justin Wilkins to be his deputy chief of staff Friday.

Berke said in a statement that he is excited to have Wilkins join his team and that his "leadership and experience will benefit not only my office but the city of Chattanooga as a whole."

"I am committed to having the best people serve our city, and I have no doubt [Wilkins] will work hard, every day, to address the issues that matter most to our community," Berke said.

Wilkins will work under Travis McDonough, Berke's current chief of staff, who has been with the administration since March 2013. McDonough was recently mentioned as one of President Barack Obama's nominees for the U.S. District judge position, which is expected to be announced in September.

Wilkins will be making $85,000 a year, according to Berke's administration.

Wilkins, a Chattanooga native, has been state director of several advocacy and election groups, including Organizing for America and Organizing for Action. Before this he was project manager for Profit Plans, a life insurance marketing group.

He has a degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in nonprofit management.

Wilkins did not return calls Friday afternoon seeking comment.

Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.